A Path to Magic
by VanFanle
Summary: What if Emma had discovered magic before she came to Storybrook?
1. Chapter 1 Memories in Hell

An: OK so this is my first even Fanfiction so please be kind. I welcome any constructive criticism, but please no you sucks or you're stupid. Just a warning there is so child abuse and self harm in this chapter. I would like to dedicate this story to my friend Chrmdpoet. With out her help and encouragement I would have never been able to write this story. Please go read her work if you have not already.

And as you all know I own nothing.

Chapter 1 Memories in Hell

Emma Swan was a lonely young woman. She was eighteen with piercing green eyes, and long golden blonde hair that fell down her back in ringlets. She sat curled up on the bed in her small 8x10 cell. Her hand ghosting across her stomach where just a few days ago life had grown.

It was painful sitting in the Arizona heat, the blazing sun shining down unmercifully upon her porcelain white skin. Sweat rolled down her back as she sat unmoving, only the small rise and fall of her chest gave away that the young girl still lived. It only added to the misery she felt at the loss of her son.

Her son, the little life that had grown inside her for the last nine months. Her son, who had been the only comfort she ever had, had in this hell. The image of the social worker walking away with him in his little blue blanket still haunted her. It was all she could see when she closed her eyes.

She could not bring herself to hold him when they had offered him to her. It may have seemed cold, but she knew that if she had held him, he would be real and she would keep him. Oh God, did she want him. She wanted her baby so much, but she knew that she had nothing to give him. She was a teen orphan, with no job, or a place to live. She had no one to help her look after him.

All she had to her name was the old yellow Bug that Neal had sent to her. She could still not understand what had driven the ass-hat to send her the thing after everything he had done to her. Like it was suppose to make up for being in this hell or for not being able to keep her baby. Not that he knew about the kid.

Neal...the thought of him just added to her pain. Neal had been her best friend, her confidant, and her...lover. She had never really loved Neal, not in the romantic sense. But he had loved her, or at least she thought he had. Emma knew that she was not attracted to males. She had only been with Neal because he had been pushing for a relationship, and she had been scared that her friend would leave her if she didn't have sex with him. So, she had grit her teeth and went through with it. But she had never really liked kissing him...or sleeping with him. Not that the sex had been all that bad really. It felt good, but it had always felt wrong somehow. It was hard to tell now what was real and what was fake about their relationship.

She had met Neal almost a year ago. She had been walking down this back ally when she had spotted this old beat up yellow Bug. As soon as she saw it she knew she had to have it. So she broke in and in the middle of hot wiring it, Neal had popped up out of the back seat. At first she thought he was the owner of the car then she found out that he had stolen the car before her.

Neal had been charming and sweet. They ran all kinds of scams together. One of them would distract the people and the other would steal what they needed. Ironically the scam they most often used was her playing at being pregnant. You would be amazed how distracting a bumbling pregnant woman could be in a store. Not that she need the help getting by. There was no door that could keep her in or out if she really wanted what was on the other side. Nor could people see her if she really didn't want them too. The world just seemed to bind to her will when she really wanted something. Not that she paid it any mind. Odd things just happened around her.

Things would fall off the walls or shelves around other shoppers and workers, when she need them to look the other way. Doors that had been locked would not be when she went to open them. And sometimes people just didn't seem to see her even when she was standing right in front of them. She never really felt it was odd. It was the way things always happened around her. She just thought it was normal.

She sighed and pulled her thoughts away from Neal, and back to her son. One of the only things she could do for her baby was make sure he had not gone to a foster home like she had. She made them find him a family. Someone who would adopt him. Someone who could love him in all the ways she could not. She tried to draw strength from that. That he would be well looked after that he would have a real home, food, toys, and above all love. All the things she never had growing up.

She knew that she needed to think of something, else anything. She could not stay depressed like this. If she did she was going to die and she knew it. Either her body would give out or she would end up taking matters into her own hands again. She glanced down to the insides of her wrist, she could just make out the crisscrossing scar lines that could only be seen if you knew what you were looking for.

She had been thirteen when she had made the scars. She had been living in a foster home run by the church. The head priest, Father Paul, had caught her making out with one of the other girls. The girl, Samantha Reed, had been her first crush. A year older, long red hair and deep blue eyes. She had these cute little freckles on her face.

Father Paul was one of those old school priest. All fire and brimstone he believed in "spare the rod, spoil the child". He was well known to the children for his corporal punishment. He had this big studded leather belt that he would use on the troublemakers. To help enforce his lesson he would make all the other kids watch as he hit you with it.

Samantha had been the Father's favorite. She could do no wrong in his eyes. So when Sam claimed that Emma had forced the kissed on her, even when it had been Sam who kissed Emma. And that she had not wanted to. Father Paul not only took her word for it, but was enraged. He had tied Emma to the stairway banister and whipped her across her back. She got 20 lashes, no one have ever gotten more than five before as far as any of the kids knew. Paul made sure that he hit her in such a way that he broke the skin with each hit. Emma's back had looked like raw meat when he was done.

She was taken to the nurse to be treated afterwards. She was bedridden for almost a week. After only a week all of her cuts had been almost completely healed. Only a few white crisscrossing scares were the only evidence of what had happened to her. When she had be let out of the infirmary Sam would not even look at her. Whether from shame or not wanting to get into trouble again; Emma didn't know.

That night, Emma had locked herself in the bathroom after everyone had gone to bed. She sat down in the tub with one of the older boys' razors. She sat there for a long just staring at the blade, as if unsure where it had come from. Then ever so slowly she drew the blade across her skin, one wrist then the other. She watched as warm sticky blood ran down her arms in thin lines. Then the blood had suddenly stopped. She looked down at her wrist only to see that the cuts were gone. Emma stared dumbly down at her own skin, before making another cut. Slowly over the next fifteen seconds, she watched as the cuts closed all on their own.

For some reason it just pissed her off. So she cut deeper and harder into her skin, but no matter what she did the cuts kept healing. Finally she threw the blade across the room and just fumed in the tub still covered in blood. Letting out a tired sigh she washed all the blood away and returned that razor to the counter where she found it. She left the bathroom and went to bed. But not before putting her blood stained clothes into a trash bag and tossing it into the dumpster.

Emma push these thoughts away knowing that they would do her no good. She tried to think of something else something happy. Emma's mind came back to the dreams she had been having of late. They were odd. She had never been a big dreamer before now. Not that she could remember anyway, but these dreams were the only thing that could distract her from her thoughts.

The dreams had been coming off and on for the last few weeks. they were always centered around a young girl and her family. Emma tried to call up the last dream to the forefront of her mind. It was strange how easy it was. How the images and sound came to her as clear as they had been when she had slept. There was a young woman in her dreams. Always the same young woman. She had long dark brown hair, warm honey brown eyes that she could look into forever. She had nice tan skin, nothing like Emma's own sickly pale complexion.

She had on a light blue riding jacket, with dark brown riding pants and matching knee high boots. Her name was Regina, and she was the most beautiful woman Emma had ever seen.

Regina had been out riding, a strong dark brown horse under her. They moved together as if they were one being. Leaping over hurdles at tremendous speeds. Her father a slightly portly man with a bolding head, named Henry, stood off to the side cheering for her. It was the only time that Emma could really say that Regina looked truly free. Regina's smile was wide and lit up her face in a way that made her look like an angel.

She rode up alongside her father smiling happily down at him, until her mother came strolling across the field. Cora looked like a older...harder version of Regina. Emma could tell that the woman had faced many hardships in her life. The look the woman had in her eye when she looked at Regina made a shiver run down Emma's spine. it was not the happy, loving look of a mother. It was a look of carefully concealed distain.

Emma hated this woman, Cora, for how she treated Regina. Cora was controlling, manipulative, and abusive; both emotionally and physically. She made her displeasure known to Regina. How unlady like she was being. How she would never find a good husband this way.

Angered by these words Regina made to storm away from her Mother only to be stopped in mid-step. She was hoisted into the air her body covered in a blue energy field of some kind . It was like magic. Regina was spun slowly around to face her mother, the look of fear on her face. Cora stood not far away her hand making a claw like motion as if she were holding something up her hand glowing the same shade of blue. She held Regina in the air, a look of glee in her eye at the power she held over her daughter.

Regina pleaded with her mother to let her go, telling her that she was sorry. Reminded Cora that she didn't like magic, yes magic Cora was a witch and a powerful one at that. She used her magic to get whatever she wanted and seemed to have a sick fascination with stealing the living hearts of others. There was only one thing Cora respected and that was power. Cora cared little for the pain of her daughter, or this show of weakness on her daughter's part. She finally let the girl go, after informing her of how Cora expected better of her from now on.

Regina looked over to where her father still stood. His head dropped in shame as he was unable to protect his daughter. Henry was a kind hearted man who loved his daughter more than anything, but he was a coward when it came to Cora. He could never bring himself to stand up to his wife and protect Regina from her not matter how much he wish to.

Regina stormed away to the stables to put away her things. There she met a handsome young man with brown hair and matching eyes. Daniel the stable boy, was a kind young man who looked after the horses on Regina's estate. He was also Regina's secret love. A green eyed monster rose up inside of Emma. Seeing the boy place a comforting hand on Regina's arm. A voice whispered in the back of her mind "mine". As much as Emma hated the thought of him touching Regina she was glad for the comfort that he was able to give her when she could not. The two shard a kiss and soft words before Regina was called back to the house.

That was where the last dream had ended. They were such odd dreams.


	2. Chapter 2 Memories of the Past

AN:I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to read my story. And for everyone who added it to their follows and favorite lists. Just to clear something up Regina is not dreaming about Emma. Emma being a product of true love and being magic her connection to Regina is stronger. And the two forces together let Emma transcend time and space to see her true love. Also I can't draw to save my life so if anyone would like to make a cover art for the story It would be really helpful. =P lol

Chapter 2 Memoirs of the Past

Emma shifted on her bed for the first time that day. Glancing around she was surprised to see that night had fallen already. Her thoughts returned to the beautiful young Regina, her kind but cowardly father, and her bitch queen of a mother. But most of all of Cora's magic. Magic it was such an odd thing for her to think about. She had lost her faith in fairy tales when she was just a kid.

She remembered see the glowing field of magic that had trapped Regina. The way it had shifted and shimmered. It seemed to stirred an old memory.

She had been about three years old. Her first family had just given her back to the foster home after her mommy found out she was going to have a real baby. They had not wanted her after that. She had been sitting alone playing with some blocks.

She was upset because the tower she had been building fell over again. She let out a small growl at the blocks. She wanted them to stand up.

"Up!" She yelled at them. Then to her amazement the block started to glow a dark green. Then began to stack themselves into a tower ten blocks high. She let out a squeal of glee. Giggling and clapping her hands. "Dance!" She commanded her toys. The blocks broke from their tower formation and began to spin, flip, and wiggle in the air around her.

Emma let out more giggles at the now dancing blocks. She was about to give them a new command when an angry voice seemed to fill the room.

"What the hell is going on here?" A large man with a handlebar mustache yelled. The little girl froze along with the blocks. Her eyes glowing the same dark green as her toys.

The man moved quickly over to the toddler and grabbed her by the arm. "Stop this...this freakishness at once!" The man yell at her.

Emma's enchanted blocks sensed their mistress's distress. They bombarded the man any where they could get him. The caretaker try to swat them away but they were too quick for him. You could see where bruises were already forming, and the caretaker had a nasty gash across his forehead and half his face was covered in blood.

Unfortunately for Emma, being so young, her magical reserves were rather small and most of her magic had been used up playing. A few seconds more and the blocks fell to the floor lifeless.

It took the caretaker a few seconds to realize that he was no longer being attacked. Finally he grabbed little Emma by the arm and dragged her away into the hall before throwing her in to a dark closet. Emma was thrown so hard that she hit her head on the wall and she blacked out.

Back in the present, Emma clinched her head in pain as the memory ended. She let out a shaky breath as she ran a hand across her face.

"What...what the hell was that?" She asked herself in a raspy voice speaking for the first time in days. "Was that real? Can I really do...magic?"

She shook her head trying to banish the thought. It was stupid, there was no such thing as magic...right?

Then, all of the odd things that happened around her all her life, started to pop into her head. How she could get though any door; how people seemed to not see her at times. The way she healed so fast, and had never been sick a day in her life. And most of all, how no one could ever lie to her.

But then why had her... powers, she was reluctant to call it magic still, stopped working? The cop who arrested her had seen her, and she couldn't get out of her cell. What had changed?

"The baby!" She said triumphantly. "I was pregnant with the baby. But why had that made my powers stop?"

"Maybe..." She licked her dry lips. "Maybe all of my magic had gone to the baby to help it? I was really underweight. I was surprised I could even get pregnant with how unhealthy my body was at the time."

Now that she was no longer pregnant did that mean her powers were back? She stared at the cell door for a long moment. Before trying to rise only to almost fall on her face. As her stiff legs almost gave out on her from not having been used in a few days.

She waited until her legs felt steady before slowly making her way to the door. Thinking of how much she wanted out of here. She touched the door and gave it a small push. She was surprised when the cell door smoothly slid open without a sound.

Emma stared dumbly at the opening for a few seconds before closing it again and heading back to her bed.

"Oh...My...God!"


	3. Chapter 3 Strong in magic this one is

AN: Another chapter for everyone. Thank you all for taking the time to read my story. I'd also like to thank Chrmdpoet for all her help in brainstorming for this chapter. I do not own OUaT or Star War

Chapter 3 Strong in magic this one is

It had been two weeks since Emma had rediscovered her magic. In that time she had taken to late night walks through the prison. It was odd walking by other inmates and the guards knowing that they couldn't see her. Emma knew that she was not invisible, it seemed that other's eye could not look her way. Their eyes just seem to slide past her without registering her presence.

She knew that she could walk out at anytime but it would not take them long to find out she was gone. And she had no wish to live a fugitive. So she stayed and tried to gain a better understanding of her powers.

From what she could tell the more people that were around, the more draining it was to make them not notice her. So walking across the yard was out of the question at this time. She just didn't have the strength for it yet.

At the same time, Emma had been trying to get a grasp of her other powers to see how far her power went. A few days before she had a run in with another inmate in the cafeteria.

Emma had been lost in thought when she had bumped into another inmate almost sending them both to the floor. the other woman was a short scrappy thing with black hair and blue eyes. She seemed to be seventeen or eighteen. She rounded on Emma with a snarl.

"Bitch watch where you're going." She yelled.

"Sorry I was not paying attention." Emma apologized

"Bitch you're about to be sorry." The young woman told her looking really to start throwing punches.

Instantly adrenalin started pumping in Emma's blood as a life time of fighting instinct came to life. she also felt the now familiar buzzing in her body as her magic came to life ready to defend her.

Unknowingly pushing her magic into her voice she said. "Look you really don't want to fight me."

The young woman's eyes seemed to glazed over. "I really don't want to fight you." she repeated in a robotic tone.

Emma stared dumbly at her for a moment before she realized what had happened.

"No way." she thought smirking. "You want to go back to your cell and rethink your life." She told the inmate pushing more magic into her voice.

"I want to go back to my cell and rethink my life." she repeated with no emotion. Before walking away.

"These aren't the droids you're looking for." She said to herself, making her voice deeper and using her best British accent. She could not keep the giggle from escaping.

However not everything was going as well. Unfortunately Emma had been unable to make anything levitate yet; much to her frustration. It was night time again, Emma sat of her cot staring daggers at her glasses that lie on the bed I in front of her.

"Float damn it!" She growled at them. The thick black frames sat there almost mockingly. She never thought she could hate her glasses before now. She had gotten the glasses at a secondhand store a few years ago. She didn't need them to see and the lenses where fake. She thought they made her look more grown up. In truth they made her look kind of dorky but no one had been brave or stupid enough to tell her that.

"Come on Emma! What would Yoda do?" she asked herself. Star Wars was the closest thing she could think of to draw comparison to magic with. Both magic and The Force seem to be highly effected by emotions both positive and negative. She could see this in Cora as using her magic with anger, hate, and a lust for power seemed to twist the woman into something dark and almost inhuman right before her eyes. "What am I doing wrong I've tried everything?"

Yoda the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, a group of galactic peacekeepers from the Star Wars universe seemed like the perfect being to ask for help. Yoda was a short green alien with pointy ears. His face old and wrinkled with ancient wise green eyes.

She could see him in her head sitting next to her on the bed. His legs crossed with his knobby cane in his lap. "Do or do not young Emma there is no try. Your ally magic is. Let it flow through you, guide you it will. Remember never alone are you with magic by your side." Emma's inner Yoda told her.

Emma took a deep breath to try and calm herself. She was having a hard time trying to draw on her magic when she didn't have an active use for it, like for a fight. She took another deep breath trying to remember the feel of her magic. How it sang in her veins, how it made her thoughts clearer. The way he muscles felt more powerful. Like she could lift anything. Her body felt lighter.

Emma was unsure how long she sat there before something just clicked on insider her. Power flooded her system. It was more magic then she had ever felt before, it was almost overwhelming.

Her eyes snapped open revealing luminescent green eyes. Her long golden hair flew around her in a none existing breeze. Her skin had taken on a dark green aura.

Emma felt intoxicated with the power flowing through her. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. Any magic she had use before this was just the tip of the iceberg.

She looked back to her glasses on the bed and with almost no effort summoned them to her outstretched hand. She felt giddy with her success. She did a goofy little happy dance, that she would later deny ever happening under pain of death.

Emma wondered what other magic she could do. She started going over what magic she had seen Cora do. The thought of Cora brought her up short. Because thinking of Cora made her think of Regina.

Emma lost hold of her magic and slumped on to the bed. She let out a sad sigh.

"Poor Regina." She thought sadly to herself. Things had not been going well for the brunette.

At first everything seemed to be going ok. Until a runaway horse had cross paths with Regina one afternoon when she was out riding.

Being the brave, kind person that she was. When Regina saw a helpless little girl on the back of the runaway horse. She instantly went after it. With her riding skill and a little luck Regina had managed to save to girl before she could fall from the horse. And mostly likely be trampled to death.

After Regina was able to calm the distraught girl down and made sure she was ok. The young girl introduced herself as Snow White


	4. Chapter 4 SnowWhite?

AN: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, and for taking the time to read my story. I was going to wait a few more days before posting this but here you go.

Chapter 4 Snow...White?

Snow Freaking White...Emma still had a hard time wrapping her head around that. Ok magic she could deal with. She could see and feel it. Visions of a beautiful young woman, who she may or may not be crushing hard on. That was stretching it for sure.

But Snow White, that was going too far. If not for the magic she had been using. Emma would be sure she had finally gone off the deep end. Even then she was still not too sure she had not gone crazy.

So after sending Snow safely on her way Regina returned home feeling she had done a great thing. Only to find out the next day that it may not have been so great after all. For the King, Snow's father, had heard all about the daring rescue from his daughter, and had come to thank Regina.

While this may have seemed like a good thing. The way he wanted to thank her was with an offer of marriage. Emma could not stop the bile from rising up at the thought of this 50 something year old man wanting to marry this seventeen year old girl. It was sick, and to her utter horror, Cora took it onto herself to accept. When it was clear by the matching look of disgust on Regina's face that she didn't want this.

As soon as she was able, Regina ran off to where Daniel was still working out in the stables to tell him the horrifying news. Instantly Daniel began to make plans for them to run away together and marry. Regina accepted at once. Looking back she saw something that she had not noticed before over her own pain and jealousy. The look in Regina's eyes was not that of someone in love. Sure there was love there but it was the same look Emma had given Neal.

While Emma had loved Neal she had not been in love with him. Regina who being young and sheltered most of her life knew little of love outside of familiar love, and that she only got from her father.

It would seem that fate really had it out for Regina for Snow walked in just as she and Daniel started kissing. See the woman who she thought was to be her new mother kissing a man that was not her father. Snow ran away in tears.

Regina, who had just seen Snow as she turned away, took off after the young girl. She luckily she caught up to Snow after she a tripped over her own dress. After Regina had made sure Snow was unhurt. The girl asked why Regina had been kissing another man.

Regina had quickly gone on to explain that she was "in love" with Daniel. Telling her the importance of true love and it being the most powerful form of magic. She went on to explain how they were running away together to marry because Cora would not let them if she knew.

After getting Snow to promise to tell no one of their love, or plans to runaway. The two lovers returned to planning their escape. However it would take them a day or two to get everything together.

On the night they made to leave, the lovers were confronted by Cora who somehow learned of their departure. Cora informed Regina how most displeased she was. Before seeming to reluctantly agreeing to their union. Taking Daniel aside in the guise of offering him some marital advise.

Cora proceeded to rip out the young man's heart and crush it to dust right before Regina's eyes while telling her the weaknesses of love.

Emma felt her heart contract painfully when she remembered Regina's heartbroken face as she sobbed of Daniel's dead form while trying to wake him with true love's kiss. Needless to say it didn't work. As far as Emma knew Regina was now set to marry King Leopold in a month's time.

Emma let out a sad sigh as she pulled her thoughts away from Regina. She need to consider what she was going to do once her time was up in four months.

Emma was almost done with her GED classes. She had stopped going to school in her junior year. She had been 16 at the time and had run away from her last foster home after her drunken foster dad had tried to force himself on her.

At the same time Emma was taking some advance computer classes. It turned out while she was not the most academically inclined but she was something of a genius when it came to computers.

Emma had been giving a lot of thought to what she wanted to do with herself when she got out. When she was younger she had harbored a dream of being a PI. She had always been good at finding people and things. That along with a hidden love for old black and white gumshoe movies, had given her a real drive to become one herself. As she got older she had let her dream slip away from her as life got harder. But now with magic she was really considering the profession.

For once it seemed like her dream was not as unattainable as it once seemed.


	5. Chapter 5 The Wedding

AN: Ok do here's the next chapter for every one. I want to thank every one for taking the time out to read my story. And for everyone who reviewed.

Ok this is a bit a a rant but I just had to put this out there. I got a review from a guest saying that my characters were OOC and too much so in their opinion. Ok I'll be the first to tell you that yes my Emma and Regina are going to be OOC. That kind of goes with out saying. For one by its very nature all Fan Fiction is OOC. As I am not the creator of OUaT nothing I write can truly be in character. Also as we are dealing with a much younger Emma and Regina, who we know very little about, they are going to be acting different from the older versions of them. We are also at a major point in their development. This is the point that really broke the two women. But thats kind of changed now with Emma's learning magic. So yes my Emma is going to be OOC I'm sorry if some people don't like that but we are changing her whole life here. There's noway for her to grow up the same as before. Ok sorry for the rant but that kind of bugged me.

Also I'm sorry if parts of the story seem kind of rushed but it would take too long to draw out all of the vision of Regina's life. I really want to be able to move the story forward So we are only going to get a general overview of the visions for the most part.

Chapter 5 The Wedding

The next few months leading up to Emma's release were an emotional roller coaster for the young blonde. The young inmate was unsure how she felt about the visions any more. At first they seemed kind of harmless and neat. Helping to open her eyes to her own magical talent. Now they seemed to becoming her own personal hell. Emma could not help feeling like a failure as she was forced to sit a watch the events leading up to Regina's wedding. She could only look on from the sidelines unable to help the young woman, that she had grown so fond of.

She watch a little piece of Regina die each day, as she lost hope for anyone to come and save her. All the while she had to deal with that little brat Snow White. Who it turns out had told Cora about Regina and Daniel's plan to runaway. Emma had to admire Regina's restraint. Not only had she not backhanded the little brat, something Emma was not sure she would have been able to help herself from, but she had also lied. Telling the naive girl that Daniel had left her.

Daniel...Emma had a lot of mixed feelings about the young man. While she may never have liked the man doe to her own feelings of jealousy, but it could not be denied that Daniel was a good person. Nor that he did truly love Regina. For that and no other reason would Emma morn the young man's passing.

Regina, it seems had become resigned to her coming wedding after the last time she had tried to run. She had been able to slip away from everyone and make a break for it on horseback. But just as she was to make it off the castle grounds. The tree around her had seeming come to life and plucked her off the horse and into the air. Moments later Cora had appeared in a cloud of blue smoke. Informing her daughter that she had placed a ward around the grounds. That made it so Regina could not leave without Cora.

The next morning Emma awoke a stinging pain in her hands. Looking down she found that her hand were covered in blood. It seems that the girl had clenched her hands so tight that her nails had cut into her skin, she watched impassively as the wounds slowly healed themselves. Emma could feel her magic bubbling just under her skin waiting to lash out at something. God she wanted someone to hurt, anyone really just so she could relieve some of her pinned up rage.

Most of all she wanted to get her hands on Cora. That psychotic bitch was destroying her daughter. All for the sake of a seat of power that Regina didn't even want. It was sickening to see the mother basically whoring her daughter out for her own ambition.

The next few days pasted slowly for Emma. She tried to keep her mind off Regina if only because she knew she would go crazy if she let herself dwell on it too much. She worked on getting better control of her magic, so that she could call it at a moment's notice. The problem it turned out was not calling on her magic, but stopping the tidal wave of power once it got going.

It seemed that Emma was something of a magical juggernaut. She had too much power for her body to take for very long. If she held onto her full power for more than 30 minutes at a time. Her body would be left sore like she had been working out all day. Each night she would sit in her cell letting as much magic flow through her for as long as she could. Slowly the time she could hold onto her magic increased.

Ironically it seemed that working her magic this way also increased her magical reserves. It seemed it would take years, if ever, for her to get the control needed for things like illusions and healing others.

It was a few more days before she saw Regina again. It was the day of Regina's wedding. She had on what had to have been the most beautiful dress Emma had ever seen. The blonde could only stare longingly at the bride to be.

Then came the ceremony. Emma could not help the choking sob that escaped her. As she watched Regina repeat back her vows, her eye looked almost dead. Emma hands were clutched so tightly that she knew her hands would be bleeding again.

Later as Regina was being lead to the king's chamber. Emma felt her insides twist themselves into knots. A feeling of horror and rage filled her. She could only watch as Regina's shaking form was lead inside. Just as the door clicked shut behind her everything around Emma went black.


	6. Chapter 6 A Ghost Out of Time

AN: So thank you to every one who reviewed it means a lot to me. So...I going to go ahead and apologize to some of you you'll see why in a moment. but yeah please don't hate me lol.

Chapter 6 A Ghost Out of Time

Emma was unsure how long she seemed to float in the dark. It could have been hours, day, months or years. She could feel herself in her bed but she was unable to move or wake. Something felt wrong, she felt hollow like something was missing inside her.

The helpless blonde pondered this for some time, more of a need to keep herself for going mad than anything else. It came to her suddenly; Regina. She had never noticed before but she had always been able to "feel" the brunette. But now that connection seemed to be...not gone but muted. It seemed like she was being blocked.

"Could Regina be blocking me?" She wondered. "Maybe she was blocking me subconsciously. Maybe she was trying to protect me." She did not think that Regina knew about her, but maybe her subconscious mind could sense the connection.

Ever so slowly, the world came back into view. As it did she could feel her connection snap back into place. She let out a breath that she had not known she was holding, as the hollow feeling slowly faded.

Emma looked around and saw that she was not in her cell, but an old fashion bedchamber. On the bench at the foot of the bed sat Regina. She was in a white nightgown. She seemed to be staring off into empty space. Her eyes looked dead.

As heartbreaking as the sight was to Emma, what really made the feeling of horror grow to an almost unbearable level was the trail of blood that ran down her leg.

The horror was quickly replaced by rage. Rage at Cora for selling her daughter for power. Rage at Snow for not keeping her word. But most of all rage at Leopold for daring to put his hands on a seventeen year old girl. She wanted to scream, to rip them all limb from limb with her bare hands.

Bring her focus back to Regina, her rage was replaced with an overwhelming need to comfort the other girl. Emma reached out with her magic praying to any god or higher being that could hear her for help.

Just when she thought that her prayer would go unanswered, she felt the world shift around her. Instead of formlessly floating around Regina. She found herself standing in the brunette's bedchamber. Her body felt off, like all of her senses were muted except for her hearing and sight.

Looking down at herself she found that she was no longer dressed in her gray prison grabs. But in a pair of black form fitting slack, knee high brown boots, and a white baggy blouse.

"Who am I David Bowie?" She asked herself.

Regina hearing a strange voice looks up thinking a handmaiden had come in. Only to find the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She had long flowing golden hair, that fell around her in ringlets. Green eyes that seemed to be almost luminescent, framed by black glasses. Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight, giving her an ethereal beauty.

She wore a pair of black form fitting slacks that seemed to have been painted on her. Dark brown knee high boots. And a v-neck white blouse that showed off just a hint of cleavage.

Regina could not help the gasp that escaped her at the sight of the woman...no the angel. There was no way that this creature was human.

"Who...who are you?" She asked in a hoarse voice, that sounded almost desperate to know. "How did you get in here?" Her voice grew a little stronger the more she spoke.

The angel seemed to be surprised to be addressed. She looked around as if trying to find who she was talking to, was Regina not suppose to see her? Upon finally realizing that she was indeed being spoken too, the blonde bit her bottom lip as she considered how to answer.

"My...my name is Emma, I'm...guess you could say I'm a Magi in training. As for how I got her I'm unsure." Emma replied finally. Her voice was soft, and seemed to do strange things to her insides.

As she spoke, Emma slowly made her way over the bench. Seeming to make small careful movements like one would when approaching a wounded animal. Afraid to either scare it, or of it lashing out.

It was odd, Regina studied her as she moved. The brunette could not pick up any of the normal sound people make when walking. She made no sound as she stepped across the stone floor. Nor did her clothing make a noise as the fabric moved.

"Would you mind if I sat with you Regina?" Emma asked as she drew near, wincing as the name slipped past her lips.

This put the brunette on guard. "How do you know my name?" she asked, a hard edge seeping into her voice.

Emma flinched at the question. She sat down beside Regina, her hands raised in an act of surrender. She bit down on her bottom lip again so hard that Regina thought he might draw blood.

"I...there's no easy way to say this so I'm going to be up front with you." she said in a rush. "I been having...I guess you could call them visions about you." She said licking her soft pink lips, that was more distracting then it should have been for Regina.

"Visions?" Regina asked pulling her eyes away from her lips.

"Yes I been dreaming about you..." She let out a small laugh at how ridiculous that sounded. "God, that sounds like a really bad pick up line." Emma muttered to herself. "For the last month or so I've been having dreams about your life. I really don't know why."

Regina crossed her arms under her chest, as she stared at the blonde trying to see if she was being lied to. But she could see nothing in those soft green eyes that made her think that the blonde was lying. Nor did she seem to have any ill will against her.

"Why are you here?" She finally asked, after was seemed like hours of being lost in Emma's eyes.


	7. Chapter 7 The Other Side of the Coin

AN: Hey everyone sorry about the wait. I did not like this chapter after I had first written it so I had to rewrite it a few times. Also I had got into the Final Fantasy 14 beta and that was taking up a lot of my time lol. I will be playing it a lot once it comes out this weekend so updates maybe a little slow. If any one play on Adamantoise fill free to hit me up. I have two characters Van Fanle who is a Lancer and Regina Mills who is a Arcanist. I'll most likely be playing Regina the most I really like that Arcanist job class its really fun. And the idea of Regina as a summoner is just bad ass lol. I'm kind of sad that only a few caught my labyrinth reference in the last chapter.

So anyway thank you all for your reviews and for everyone who took the time to read my story Its up to over 3k in views which is mind blowing for me thanks so much guys. So anyways on with the story. As always I own nothing.

Chapter 7 The other side of the coin

"Why are you here?" The question rolled around in Emma's head. She kept her eyes on Regina's deep brown ones, trying to make them as gentle and open as she could. She wasn't sure how to answer the question.

"I'm...I'm here because I needed to be." She finally replied. "I couldn't sit back and watch you be hurt anymore." Reaching out to put what she hoped was a comforting hand on Regina's shoulder. She heard the other gasp staring wide eyed at Emma's arm. Following her gaze Emma found that her hand had not landed on her shoulder as intended, but had passed right through and into her chest.

Emma let out a startled yelp before jumping back. Sending her off the bench and into the hard stone floor, Emma briefly notice that she felt no pain. She quickly stammered out an apology.

For Regina when the hand made contact with her. She was filled, for the first time since Daniel's death, a sense of warmth and protectiveness. It took her only moments to conclude that the feeling were coming from Emma. Seeing the blonde fall off the bench and stammering apologies. Regina could not help the giggle that escaped her, Emma had the most adorable look on her face.

"Please Emma calm yourself, I'm fine. It felt kind of nice, really." With a blush on her face she told the blonde who had yet to arise from the floor.

Emma calmed herself, a blush of her own coloring her face. As she listens to Regina laugh, she thought it was one of the most beautiful sounds she had ever heard. She pouts at Regina when she realizes that she's being laughed at. She rises slowly from the floor and sits back down with Regina, a pout still on her lips.

"Why is it that I can't touch you?" Regina asked a small grin still on her lips.

"I...I guess because I'm not really here. I'm not from this Realm." Emma answered after she was able to tear her eyes away from that cute little grin. "It seems I was only able project part of myself here."

Regina's eyes lit up at the mention of other Realms. It was a topic that had only briefly come up in her studies growing up. It had always fascinated her. She use to dream about going to other worlds and seeing all the many wonders things.

She could not help but ask the blonde all about her world. What it was like, the things she did there. How she grew up in the other world. Emma could not help but smile at her eagerness. She felt it was only fair that she share her life with Regina, after all the things she had seen about the brunette without her knowing.

She talked about a world without magic. A world ruled, not by magic but by science. About cities that were larger than anything Regina could imagine. She talked about cars and all the strange and wonderful things about her world.

Then she told her about being found on the side of the road as a baby. About all the foster homes, both the good and the bad. She talked for hours, letting out eighteen years of pain and loneliness. She never felt the tears roll down her face.

Regina sat helplessly beside the other girl, her heart breaking a little more with each unloving home, every hit she took, each cruel word spoken. Regina felt her own tears fall. She reached out and tried to take Emma's hand; only for it to pass right through again.

Although Regina couldn't feel Emma's skin as she found she so desperately wanted. She was however once more filled with that same warmth as before.

Emma too felt the warmth and care that came with their joined hands. She let it give her strength she needed to keep going. She talked about Neal and their relationship. And although part of her wished not too, Emma talked about her time in jail and the baby she had to give away.

Once she was done speaking the two sat in silence for a long time. Nether knowing how to help the other. The blonde glances out towards the balcony, from the position of the moon Emma could tell that it was getting late.

"It's getting late. You should get cleaned up then get some rest." Emma told her. Regina looked hesitant. "I'll be here when you get back." She reassured the young queen. Regina lingered for a moment longer before nodding. She made her way to what Emma assumed was the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Only now that she is alone does she really have time to contemplate this new form she's taken on. One thing she was sure of was that this was not her true body. If the fact that her hand passing through Regina was not enough of a dead giveaway. The way her senses seemed dulled, and there seemed to be a lag between the commands her brain was giving and the time it took her body to follow said commands. "So then what was this?" She wondered. The closest thing she could come up with was a form of astral projection. It was the only thing that made any kind of sense. God, not that anything really made sense in her life anymore. She tried to feel her magic only to find that her reserves were very low. She did not think she had long left.

A short time later Regina returned, she wore a new nightgown this one a dark blue. The soft material clung to her damp body in such a way that it took all Emma's self control to not ogle at the other girl. She tried to keep her eyes above neck level, which may not have been a good idea either as she found it just as hard to think while looking into Regina's eyes.

She could see how tired Regina looked, but it seemed that the brunette was trying to fight off sleep. No doubt dreading the nightmares that would haunt her once she shut her eyes. "I know you may not want to but you need to get some rest." Emma told her as gently but firmly as she could.

Regina bit her lip as she stared at Emma for a moment contemplating something. "Would...would you stay with me till I fall asleep?" She asked in a timid voice that was so quiet that Emma almost missed it. Regina it seemed, had realized like Emma, had that she more than likely did not have much time left.

"Of course." She replied with a nod. Emma let Regina crawl under the covers before she joined her on the bed, both laying on their sides facing each other. Emma longed to wrap her arms around the other girl but knew this form would not allow that. She settled for resting her palm on Regina's stomach, absentmindedly drawing patterns across her skin.

It didn't take Regina long to fall asleep. As her breathing evened out and her mind came a rest. Emma slowly disappeared in a cloud of green motes of light.


	8. Chapter 8 Magic

AN: Ok so this chapter is un-betaed. I could not get ahold of my beta to edit this chapter. I tried to look over it the best I could but there may be some mistakes still. So I'm sorry for the long wait I hope to have it Edited soon so that I can repost it.

Thank you to everyone for their great Reviews and for everyone that has taken their time to read my story. We are up to over 4k in views and that just really blows my mind thank you all so much.

As always I own nothing.

Chapter 8 Magic

The first thing that Emma knew when she woke in her cell was agonizing pain that ran through her body. She had dealt with the pain of over taxing her body when using magic before but this was ten times worse. Her head was fuzzy and she could hardly think strait. The next thing she noticed was the horrible churning in the stomach. It was a feeling she hadn't had to deal with scene she had gotten over her morning sickness with the baby.

She had to literally crawl for her bed to the toilet in the cell to empty her stomach into. After what felt like hours of emptying her stomach, her body finally stopped retching. After flushing she rested her hot face on the cool metal of the toilet, too desperate for any form of relief to care how unsanitary it was.

She tried to get a hold on her magic hoping that it healing properties would be able to help. Only to find her magical reserves were dangerously low.

"Oh great...not only am I suffering from overexposure but also magical exhaustion." She groaned to herself. Her self diagnoses coming the popular theme in most fantasy novels about the dangerous and sometimes lethal side effects of over using magic.

Emma unknowingly dozed off on the floor, only to be found hours later by a passing guard on her rounds. Emma would spend the next week in the medical wing recovering from what the doctors were calling a severe case of the flu. As Emma drifted in and out of conciseness, doe to a mixture of the medication she was getting and her own weakened body. She was gifted by visions of Regina as she began her own training in magic, under the watchful eye of Rumpelstiltskin.

Rumpelstiltskin, Emma did not even know where to start with this...thing. She couldn't bring herself to call it a man. His "skin" was made up of golden scales, his hair was tangled and looked like straw. His teeth were yellow and crocked. The irises of his eye were much too lager to be human eyes. The dark green color taking up over have half of his sclera.

He was dressed in was Emma could only compare to a Victorian era suit, made from a dark brown leather. He moved with an inhuman grace, as he glided across the ground. Often moving at preternatural speeds. To anyone else it would seem that Rumpel was teleporting but Emma could just make out the blur of movement. Every time he jump from one spot to the next.

It was something Emma herself found herself doing unintentionally more and more lately. It seemed that her magic was trying to compensate for her weakened body by strengthening her body to a level where it could handle her magical levels. Something at Emma had noticed one night when she was out jogging in the yard only to find she had completed her normal hour long run in fifteen minutes.

Emma was learning a lot from watching Regina study magic from her mother's old spell book. Like that there were many types of magic users. There were those that where gifted magic, like Cora, who didn't have a "magic-core", their bodies didn't make their own magic. Rather they had to absorb the ambient magic around them and channel it through their bodies to cast spells.

Wand users did not have magic of their own, nor did their bodies have the ability to channel magic. The wand held all of their power. The wielder only need to shape the magic with their will and intent. The wand would to the rest. Without the wand it's user was powerless.

Emma and Regina had been born with magic. Their bodies naturally made magic. Which in the case of Regina was further augmented by the ambient magic around her. It was this that lead to Emma's control problems. Where Regina only need a small amount of her own magic plus the ambient magic, which was less dense making it easier to mold then their respective magical-cores. Emma had to produce all of the magic herself for whatever spell she was casting. Magic from her core was much denser then ambient magic and harder to mold in smaller amounts. Spells that needed fine control, like healing and illusions, would be cast with only ambient magic. Such spells were beyond Emma's ability to cast at the moment.

Rumpelstiltskin was something different altogether. It seems that Cora had left extensive notes on The Dark One in her spell book. The Dark One's powers came from a curse. Every time a new Dark One was made the curse would transfer all of the magical knowledge, plus all of the past bearer's life force which was turned into magic by the curse. It gave Rumpel the combined magic of hundreds of magic usurer. It was however not without its draw back. With each new bearer The Dark One's form was twist into something more and more inhuman and grotesque. Making it more and more unlikely for the curse to ever be broken by true love's kiss.

Another important aspect of magic Emma had learned of was Elemental Magic. It turned out that every person born with magic was born with an elemental affinity, one element that they were better with then the others. There were five elements Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Lightning.

Each element was connected to a branch of magic. Those that were Earth Elementals were good a enchantments and protection based magic. Fire Elementals excelled with combat based magic. Wind Elementals were skilled in conjuring and transportation magic. Water Elementals had unparalleled skill in healing magic. Lighting Elementals where known for their skills in mind magic.

Regina was a powerful Fire Elemental with a secondary Earth Element. It gave her the ability to call forth massive flames to consume her enemies, and the power over plant life. She could also weave together powerful and complex enchantments.

Emma was a powerful Lightning Elemental with a secondary Wind Element. It was her Lightning affinity that gave her the ability to trick the minds of others so easily. Why people couldn't see her when she didn't want them to and why no one could lie to her. It also she suspected the reason she was so good with computers and other technologies. With her Wind Element she could not only conjure inanimate objects but potentially living thing should she try hard enough. It also gave her the upper hand in transportation magic, such as teleportation or even flight. Where other mages would need line of sight or to have been to the place before they could teleport there. Emma only needed a general idea of the area to get there.

This was not to say that either women could not use the other elements. But none would be as powerful or as easy to use as was their own element.

Potions were another important aspect of magic. Potions were made from combining plants and animal parts together. The different magical essences combined created different effects. It was possible if one had enough understanding of those essence to create a potion from water alone. Rumpelstiltskin was one such person. He could make powerful and complex potions from nothing but river water.

There were few things that magic could not do. Bring the dead back to life was one of the biggest, Right next to making someone love another. Nothing could truly bring to dead back to life after they had pasted beyond the veil. Nor could anything create love, other than the heart, lust yes but never real love.

Though it seemed that Regina still held onto some foolish hope that she could bring Daniel back to life. It pained Emma that Regina was making herself suffer by holding onto such false hope. Regina used it to push herself to gain more and more power.

It really was amazing how quickly the young queen learned how to control her magic. True practitioners of magic didn't need incantations. Incantations and rituals were only tools used to help the caster focus their magic. For a true practitioner only their will and intent were needed to shape the magic.

Rumpelstiltskin had taken Regina out for their next lesson. When they entered the clearing the first thing Regina saw was a beautiful black unicorn. Rumpel started the lesson off by reviewing several spells they had gone over last time. Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis and ending with casting a body-bind on the unicorn itself. After Regina had frozen the magical horse in place, captured in a blue magical field. Rumpel began their lesson for the day. The taking of another's heart.


	9. Chapter 9 The Heart of All Things

AN: Sorry for the long wait a combination of writers block and playing FF14 got in the way. Thank you to everyone who took the time to review and for everyone who bothered to read my story lol. This chapter is unbetaed again sorry for any mistakes I did the best I could about getting them all but I'm sure I missed some.

As always I own nothing.

Chapter 9 The Heart of All Things

Queen Regina walked slowly through the woods on her way to meet Rumpelstiltskin, her...mentor. Master was probably the more accurate title but Regina could not bring herself to give the golden imp anymore power over her even if only in her mind. As she walked she felt the now familiar feeling of Emma's warmth wash over her. For the past few weeks that warmth, that she now recognized as a sign of Emma's presence. Had been rather weak but had been growing stronger since she had seen Emma on the night of her wedding.

Not that she was all that surprised after what she had been learning about magic. If Emma's realm was truly without magic, for Emma to have crossed Realms even if only partly. Without the aid of a magical artifact, ambient magic, or a magical being/Deity. To use nothing but her raw magic was a humbling and somewhat terrifying thought. It would take more magic than ether Regina or Rumple had put together to pull it off.

It took Regina a moment to realize that she had not only stopped walking but had her eyes close as she basked in Emma's warmth. "Emma." She breathed out softly, with a sound of longing. As if her name alone would summon the blonde to her.

"Regina." Came an even softer answer. The young Queen's eyes snapped open as she looked around franticly. To her dismay there was no sign of the young woman she so desperately wanted to see.

"Emma?" She called again hoping that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her.

"You can hear me?" Came Emma's weak reply, it was soft and sounded as if coming from a great distance. It took Regina a moment to realize that the voice was indeed coming from inside her head. She could not help a small chuckle that escaped her lips. Well if she was going crazy, getting to hear Emma was not a bad way to go. Now that she was focusing on it she could feel that their bond was growing stronger. The Queen hoped that it would help Emma come back over to her.

"Yes." She answered back. "Can you cross over to this Realm?" Asked trying to keep the hope from her voice.

"No...I'm too weak..." Came Emma's reply, it sounded strained. She almost expected to hear panting to go along with it. "You should go...you don't want to keep the old lizard waiting."

Regina didn't even try to stop the warm laugh that spilled from her lips. Oh God, that would be all she would be able to call him from now on. Once she had her giggling under control, she started off again.

As she approached the clearing where she was to meet her teacher. Regina reached out with her budding magical senses, all magic users had the ability to feel magical energies around them. It was an invaluable skill need to help harness the ambient magic around them. It also let the user feel any active spell or magical beings around.

Last week Rumple had set up a magical obstacle course filled with a number of nasty traps. Rumpelstiltskin was of the mindset of throwing his students into the deep end was the only real way they would learn. She would not put it past him to set up a few traps to make sure the lesson had sunk in. Thankfully the path was clear.

Walking into the clearing she saw Rumpelstiltskin standing in the middle of the clearing in all his hideous glory. He gave her a deep bow "Your Majesty." He greeted in that rolling mocking tone of his.

She gave a small curtsy "Teacher." she greeted in a equally mocking tone. Barely holding back rolling her eyes at him. He could be such a drama queen sometimes.

Rumple kept that damnable smirk on his lips as he waved his hand casually conjuring three wooden human shaped dummies. "We will start with reviewing your Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis and Phytokinesis." He instructed.

Regina gave small nod before she gathered her magic. She sent out a massive telekinetic wave it threw the first dummy ten feet across the field smashing into a tree. Without missing beat she flung out her left hand sending out a white hot torrent of fire that scorched the earth it burnt the wooden figure to ashes. Then in one smooth motion she knelt down slamming her hand into the earth. There was a small rumbling sound before a dozen root like tentacles burst from the ground and wrapped around the last dummy before crushing it.

Regina could not help puffing out her chest as she felt awe and pride flow across her bond with Emma. Not that she had showing off or anything...nope not at all. She looked over at the old lizard who cocked an eyebrow at her more enthusiastic display of magic than normal. Regina only gave him a small shrug as she smirked at him.

Rumpel shook his head at his seemingly cocky apprentice. "Well dearie, we know you can outwit a training dummy. But let's see how you do with a real opponent." He said in that mocking way of his.

Regina's smirk fell at that, along with haft the blood in her face. She did her best to push down her growing fear. The lizard man wanted to spar with her. She could not suppress the shiver that ran through her at the memory of the last time they spared. Rumpelstiltskin didn't know the meaning of holding back. If not for his healing abilities Regina would have been scarred for life. He had healed everything that could not be overlooked but still left enough bruises to make sure the lesson stick. That she was still weak, that Rumple held all the power.

She pushed her fear into her magic letting it empower her. She did not wait for Rumple to start, after all in a real battle no one was going to wave a flag and yell start. Using her fear and anger she launched a new wave of flames at the golden imp. As Rumpelstiltskin blurred away in a burst a preternatural speed.

Regina reached out with her magical senses trying track of him, as he was too fast to follow with her eyes. Her body was tense as she waited for him to strike, her magic bubbled under her skin waiting to be unleashed on her foe. She felt a burst of magic behind her. The Queen threw herself to the side, a ball of fire missing her by inches. Rolling on her shoulder she smoothly came back to her feet, retaliating with a fire ball of her own as she did.

The two combatants continued exchanging spells. Blasts of heat and flame, waves of telekinetic energies, spikes of stones, and all manner of curses, jinxes, and charms. Thankfully Rumpelstiltskin had warded the field beforehand or the expositions and flashes of spell light would have drawn the guards.

Regina was breathing heavily, her brow dripping with sweat. Her clothes were covered in dirt, scorch marks and a number of rips. Regina herself had a number of bruises, cuts, and minor burns. Her magic was low, but even still she had never felt more alive.

She gathered her magic readying herself for Rumple's next attack. He dashed forward getting in close as he lashed out with a powerful cutting curse. From the magic she could feel from the spell she knew it would cut her in two if she didn't do something quickly. Regina had no time to dodge, She push her anger, fear, and need to survive into her next spell. She stomped her foot hard on the ground pushing her magic into the earth. A wall of earth six feet tall, three wide and a foot thick shot up from the ground.

The cutting curse washed over the wall cutting a deep into the wall. Using the last of the magic she safely could she punched at the wall. It exploded into hundreds of softball size projectiles. Rumpel summoned a sword to his hands in a cloud of red smoke and used it to deflect most of the incoming stones. Before he shot forward, closing the distance between the two. He landed a powerful open palm strike to her chest sending her flying backwards a few feet.

The brunette landed hard on her back trying to breath although her lungs refused to work. Just as she began to caught and gasp for breath. The young Witch felt the tip of blade against her throat. "Looks like you lose dearie." The old lizard informed her.

Regina lie there gasping for breath as Rumple went about healing any wounds that would have scared if left to heal on their own. At the same time putting a glamour spell over others to hide them. To once again reinforce the lesson that she was weaker than him. The golden cowered left Regina to rest and regain some strength for the rest of the lesson as he went about repairing all the damage done to the clearing by their little duel.

After almost fifteen minutes of rest Regina noticed that something had changed in the clearing, other than repaired surroundings. There not ten feet from her was a large Black Unicorn. She wearily rose to her feet taking sever step back trying to seem as unthreatening as she could. Unicorns only came in two colors, Whitish silver, and jet black. unlike other animals their coloring was not just some genetic quirk, the white Unicorn are the most gentle and kind beings in the realm. It is impossible from them to hurt another being, even when attacked. Black Unicorns are the gardenias of the herds. One Unicorn in each herd embodying all the negative emotions that the others do not have. All of these negative energies turned their coats black. As the only one in the herd able to hurt another they were charged with guarding the rest of the herd from danger.

"No need to be alarmed dearie, he's not going to hurt you. As far as he knows he's still with his herd." Rumpelstiltskin informed her popping up from nowhere at her side. "Let's call him...Bob. Bob here is going to help with today's lesson. Now immobilize him."

Regina gave him a odd look before almost lazily casting a stasis field on the Unicorn, who had been rearing back on its hind legs. It was trapped in a blue field of magic that was so familiar to the brunette from all the times it had been used on herself growing up. She looked over to her teacher for more instructions.

"Good, good now take its heart!" The old lizard almost growled at her.

Regina faltered at that looking at the Dark One as if he had lost his mind, or told her he ate babies. "You want me to use the same spell that..." she could not finish the sentence.

"That killed your young wove." He fished for her mockingly. "You know the spell, I need to know that you're ready to take the next step in your training."

If Regina had not been so lost in her conflicting thoughts she would have felt the pang of hurt and jealousy that came over her bond at the mention of Regina's "love". She pushed back the rising bile in the back of her throat. taking a deep fortifying breath she made her way to the trapped Unicorn. She gathered her magic and reached out for the animal's chest. Only to falter inches from its chest.

"It's ok...you don't have to hurt him." Came Emma's voice in her head. Regina had to stop herself from jumping at the sound out it. She had almost forgot the blonde was there. "Remember magic is all about intent and will. If you don't intend to hurt him..." She trailed off.

"Then I won't." Regina finished the thought. She refocused her intent and will and in one gentle smooth motion reached in and took Bob's heart out. The Unicorn only made a small sound of surprise at the action. She held the crystallized heart in one hand in awe as it pulsed with a gentle red light. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

She looked over to Rumple and saw he had a look of surprise. As if he had not expected her to do it. He seemed to get a hold of himself and motions for her to give him the heart.

"Good, good." He said taking the heart. "Do you know what this is dearie?" He asked her.

Regina shrugged a little confused by the question. "A heart?" She answered though it came out more of a question then a statement.

He laughed mockingly. "Not just a heart dear, but a Heart, be mindful of the capital H." He informed her. "This is not that silly little organ in your chest. No this is much more than that." He went about almost gleefully."When someone speaks of a person having a good Heart, or maybe a dark Heart. This is what they are talking about." He said holding the Heart up for her to see. "Not the physical heart but the metaphysical heart."

"The Heart is the core of a person. It is the embodiment of everything you are. Your hopes, and dreams. Your darkest secret, your greatest hope. All of your emotions and memories. It hold your past, present, and if you know how to look your future too." Rumple spoke his voice barely a whisper, as he slowly circled around Regina, as she hung on his every word.

"This why only the most powerful of magics can restore a Heart once it has been crushed. True love's kiss, a magic so powerful that it can even turn back death so long as it was not of natural causes."

"But I did kiss him!" Regina exclaimed. "I kissed Daniel and he did not come back..." She trailed off as the implications of such a statement would mean began to sink in.

Rumple looked at her like he thought she was slow. "As I said only TRUE love's kiss can restore a heart. While I'm sure that your love was pure and that is enough to break most curses. Pure love cannot restore life once its lost. Young people these days always get the two mixed up." He said the last part with an exasperated sigh.

"True love exists between two Hearts that are made for each other, soul mates you could call them. This kind of connection is very rare , so rare that even I have not come across a real true love couple in all of my centuries of life."

"Now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." The old lizard went on with the lesson, as Regina tried to push conflicted emotions aside. "Everything has a Heart animals, people, even the Realm has a Heart. The Heart is one of the most powerful forces in the Realms. But it is also one of the weakest. It is such an easy thing to break a Heart." He said giving the Heart a squeeze, the Unicorn gave a small cry of discomfort.

"I've heard tales of a blade that was forged from the Heart. It is said to be the most powerful weapon in all the realms. Although I'm unsure if it's true I have never been able to make one myself." He added absentmindedly.

Regina could not help a shudder that ran through her at the image of the old lizard placing a Heart on an anvil and taking a hammer to it trying to mold the Heart into a blade. It was a sickening thought.

"Anyway this is what makes the taking of hearts such a powerful aspect of magic. With the Heart of another in your hand is to have complete control of them. while there are different mind magics that can be used to control the minds of others. They can all be fought if the person has a strong enough will. On the other hand there is no fighting the control one has over them with the power of their own heart." He demonstrated this by forcing the Unicorn to lie down. Before he handed the Heart back to Regina. She cradled the Heart as if it here a fragile artifact that could break if she looked at it wrong.

"Now crush it!" He commanded the young queen.

Regina head snapped up to look at him as if Rumple had lost his mind. "What?!"

"Crush it!" He all but snarled at her.

"But it's innocent!" The Queen protested.

"Nothing is innocent. You've seen the power in action now use it. Show me your ready to take the next step in your training. Kill it!"

Regina hesitated for a moment before she started to squeeze the Heart in her hand. The Unicorn gave out a cry of pain that stabbed at her own heart. "I can't." She told her teacher loosening her hold on the Heart. "I didn't sign up for kill Unicorns." She spat at him.

"Magic is all about power until you can take power you're not learning anything. Do you want me to teach you or not?" He asked her.

"Yes." She answered at once.

"Then there's one thing you need to ponder...what's holding you back?" He asked her before walking away.


End file.
